3 Big Trends Shaping Montana High-tech & Manufacturing
From left to right: Brian Aegerter, general manager, Applied Materials; Kym Corwin, head of workforce development & site strategy, Cognizant; and Tom Stergios, founder, Craton Consulting. The panelists discussed current trends and opportunities affecting their companies and Montana’s tech sector during the Alliance’s Missoula roundtable “What’s next for tech in Montana?” at Cognizant on October 15, 2024.
November 20, 2024
By Melissa Paulsen
Three Montana business and technology trailblazers offered insight into the trends impacting the state’s high-tech and manufacturing industry during the Montana High Tech Business Alliance’s “What’s next for tech in Montana?” roundtable. Hosted by Cognizant in Missoula on October 15, 2024, the event featured:
Brian Aegerter - General Manager, Applied Materials, Kalispell
Kym Corwin - Head of Workforce Development & Site Strategy, Cognizant, Missoula
Tom Stergios - Founder, Craton Consulting, Missoula
Read on for three major takeaways from the conversation.
#1: Generative AI is a Game-Changer
Generative AI (Gen AI), like ChatGPT, is transforming the workplace with applications ranging from learning tools to marketing automation.
Tom Stergios, founder of Craton Consulting in Missoula, highlighted four use cases for Gen AI:
Skill Development: Gen AI can teach technical skills like Quote-to-Cash processes and help new consultants quickly learn about their industry and customer base.
Marketing and Customer Experience: Companies can create videos, social media content, blogs, and even chatbots to improve customer engagement while reducing costs.
Data Analysis: Gen AI complements machine learning by analyzing complex data sets. In Montana, this technology could aid climate-related efforts such as tracking fire danger, testing water and soil quality, and analyzing carbon sequestration.
“[Gen AI] can be a crutch or a cape,” Stergios explained. “If you use it to pretend, it's a crutch, but if you use it to accelerate the strengths that you already have, and to be able to learn faster, then it's a superhero cape.”
While the panelists discussed Gen AI’s potential, they also addressed ethical concerns and its impact on entry-level jobs. Stergios emphasized the need for equitable access to Gen AI tools for Montanans eager to launch tech careers.
“We need to create stepping stones,” Stergios said. “Gen AI as a learning tool is an amazing stepping stone to get people from all walks of life—rural, tribal, student—to a common area [of understanding] to be able to participate in [Montana’s] technology ecosystem.”
Craton Consulting partners with four-year and two-year colleges, like the University of Montana and Missoula College, to promote high-demand tech careers in Montana and plans to expand its outreach to K-12 students.
Learn more about Craton Consulting in our article Art of the Restart: Craton Consulting’s Tom Stergios Dedicates the Next Chapter of His Career to Helping Fellow Montanans Launch Theirs.
#2: The Semiconductor Boom is Driving Growth in Montana
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed supply chain vulnerabilities in the semiconductor industry, skyrocketing demand for chips as remote work and digital connectivity became essential.
Brian Aegerter, general manager of Applied Materials in Kalispell, shared how the Montana facility expanded to meet the growing need:
Acquired 100,000 square feet of additional warehouse space.
Hired more than 100 employees.
Applied Materials is the leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. To build the future workforce, the company collaborates with institutions such as Montana State University, leveraging specialized facilities like the Microfabrication Facility in Bozeman and recruiting talent through Applied’s immersive university internship program.
“When I graduated from high school, high-tech jobs didn't really exist,” Aegerter said. “The fact that we have many opportunities [for] high-tech [and] good paying jobs in Montana [to] keep our kids at home is great.”
Federal initiatives like the CHIPS & Science Act are bolstering U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and workforce development, with programs designed to close the projected shortage of 146,000 industry workers, including over 50,000 engineers, by 2030.
#3: Rapid Training Programs Are Opening Doors to Tech Careers
Flexible online training programs are empowering Montanans to enter the tech workforce quickly and affordably.
“These programs existed before the pandemic, but now people are more aware of [these programs] and are utilizing them,” said Kym Corwin, head of workforce development & site strategy for Cognizant in Missoula.
Cognizant, a global leader in Quote-to-Cash advisory services, has spearheaded initiatives like the Aim Higher program in partnership with the University of Montana. The program trained over 200 Montanans—many from diverse backgrounds—as Salesforce consultants
Building on that success, Cognizant is partnering with Accelerate Montana to expand its Salesforce Administrator rapid training program statewide, including outreach to tribal nations.
“Instead of being very targeted in Missoula, or through the western half of the state, we’re getting these programs out to all Montanans,” Corwin said.
Rapid training programs like Amazon’s AWS training, Microsoft Learn, and Salesforce Trailhead are helping jobseekers to jump start their tech career from anywhere.
Check out the Alliance’s education & training resource guide to explore additional rapid training opportunities in tech.
About the Publisher: Launched in 2014, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance is a nonpartisan nonprofit association of more than 200 high tech and manufacturing companies and affiliates creating high-paying jobs in Montana. For more information, visit MTHighTech.org or subscribe to our biweekly newsletter.
About the Author: Melissa Paulsen is the communications coordinator for the Montana High Tech Business Alliance. She graduated from the University of Montana in 2022 with a BFA in creative writing and a minor in history.
